"Murderer!" Rhea's scream cut through the chaos like a knife. I spun around to see her pointing directly at me, her face twisted with rage and tears. "She killed Elder Mira!"
Rhea shouted to the panicked crowd. "The moment that unnatural bond formed, Elder Mira died!"
"That's not true!" I cried, but my voice was lost in the noise. Pack members were shifting everywhere, snarling and looking for threats. But some of them started looking at me with suspicious eyes.
"Think about it!" Rhea continued, her voice getting louder. "Elder Mira was fine until that strange triple bond happened. Then she suddenly dies? That's not a coincidence!"
"Enough!" Alpha Orion's words boomed over everything. "Everyone calm down!"
But I could feel the mood change. The excitement about my mate bond was changing into fear and anger. Some pack members were nodding along with Rhea's claims.
My hands were still tingling from touching the babies. The link felt like electricity running through my veins, connecting me to all three of them. I could feel their feelings mixing with mine - confusion, protectiveness, and something darker.
"Elara didn't kill anyone," Kaelen said firmly, stepping in front of me.
"How do you know?" Rhea shot back. "You felt that bond too. It was wrong. Evil. Nothing natural could be that strong."
Lucien moved to my other side. "The bond doesn't make someone a killer, Rhea."
"Doesn't it?" She laughed bitterly. "Look what it's already done! It's turned the three of you against each other. And now Elder Mira is dead!"
I wanted to escape. To run away and hide somewhere no one would ever find me. The weight of everyone's stares was crushing.
"I didn't do anything," I whispered, but only the triplets could hear me.
Darius stepped closer, his voice low. "We know. We can feel your feelings through the bond. You're innocent."
"The bond could be lying to you," someone called out from the crowd.
---
Alpha Orion raised his hand for quiet. "We will examine Elder Mira's death properly. But right now, we need to focus on what just happened here."
He looked at his kids, then at me. His face was unreadable.
"A triple mate bond," he said slowly. "I've read about them in the oldest books, but I never thought I'd see one."
"What do the books say?" Kaelen asked.
Alpha Orion's jaw clenched. "They say triple bonds are either a great gift or a terrible curse. The last one nearly destroyed our kind."
The crowd mumbled nervously. I felt sick to my stomach.
"What happened the last time?" I asked quietly.
"War," Alpha Orion answered. "The paired wolves became so powerful that other packs feared them. They tried to destroy the triple link before it could grow stronger."
"So they're dangerous," Rhea said proudly. "We should break the bond now, before it's too late."
"You can't break a mate bond," Lucien said furiously. "It would kill all of us."
"Maybe that's for the best," Rhea snapped.
The words hit me like a slap. She actually wanted me dead.
Through the bond, I felt the triplets' anger spike. Kaelen took a step toward Rhea, his hands curled into fists.
"Don't you dare," he growled.
"Kaelen, stop," his father warned.
But the damage was done. The link was making all of us more emotional, more reactive. I could feel it pulling at something deep inside me, something that felt wild and strong.
"I need to get out of here," I said desperately.
Before anyone could stop me, I pushed through the crowd. People jumped out of my way, some looking scared, others angry. I ran toward the trees, tears streaming down my face.
Behind me, I heard the triplets calling my name. But I didn't stop. I couldn't face any more stares or charges.
---
I ran until my lungs burned and my legs gave out. When I finally collapsed under a big tree, I was totally alone.
Or so I thought.
"Running away won't solve anything," a voice said from the shadows.
I jumped up, my heart beating. A man stepped out from behind the trees. He was tall and lean, with silver eyes and dark hair. Something about him seemed familiar, but I'd never seen him before.
"Who are you?" I asked, backing away.
"Someone who's been waiting a long time to meet you, Elara."
The way he said my name made my skin crawl. Like he knew me better than I knew myself.
"How do you know my name?"
He smiled, but it wasn't a nice smile. "I know many things about you. Including who you really are."
"I don't understand."
"Your mother never told you about your real father, did she?"
My blood turned to ice. "My father died before I was born."
"Your father was told he was dead," the man amended. "There's a difference."
I stared at him, my mind spinning. "You're lying."
"Am I?" He stepped closer, and I could see that his eyes were the exact same color as mine. "Look at me, Elara. Really look."
I did, and my world turned sideways. The shape of his face, the way he moved, even the way he tilted his head when he spoke - it was all familiar because I saw it in the mirror every day.
"No," I whispered.
"Yes," he said softly. "I'm Sylas. I'm your father. And I've come to take you home."
"This is my home."
"Is it?" His voice turned hard. "They let you live like a servant. They treat you like you're useless. Even now, after finding your bond, half of them think you're dangerous."
He wasn't wrong, and that hurt more than I wanted to accept.
"The triple bond isn't an accident, Elara," Sylas added. "It's your heritage. You're not just any omega. You're the daughter of a rogue Alpha, and that bond shows you're meant for something much greater than serving meals and cleaning floors."
"I don't want to be greater," I said desperately. "I just want to belong somewhere."
"You do belong somewhere. With me. With our kind."
"The rogues?"
"The free wolves," he amended. "Wolves who don't bow to unfair hierarchies and ancient prejudices."
---
In the distance, I could hear howls. The boys were looking for me.
"They're coming," Sylas said. "You have to choose, Elara. Stay here and let them turn you into something you're not, or come with me and find who you're truly meant to be."
"I can't just leave," I argued.
"Why not? What's really keeping you here?"
The howls were getting closer. I could feel the triplets' worry through our bond, their desire to find me.
"They are," I whispered.
Sylas's face darkened. "The link is a chain, daughter. It's keeping you trapped in a life that will never accept you."
"The link isn't a chain. It's a tie."
"Is it? Or is it three strong wolves claiming ownership of something they fear?"
His words planted a seed of doubt in my mind. Was the bond real love, or just possessiveness?
"I won't force you to come with me tonight," Sylas said, backing toward the trees. "But think about what I've said. You deserve better than this, Elara. You deserve to rule, not serve."
"Wait!" I called out. "If you're really my father, why did you leave me?"
His face softened for just a moment. "Because I thought you'd be safer without me. I was wrong."
He vanished into the shadows just as Kaelen burst through the trees.
"Elara!" He rushed to me, pulling me into his arms. "Are you hurt?"
I wanted to tell him about Sylas, about everything that had just happened. But something held me back.
"I'm fine," I lied.
Lucien and Darius appeared moments later, both looking frantic.
"Don't run off like that again," Lucien said, his voice shaking. "When we couldn't feel you through the bond anymore, we thought..."
"Thought what?"
"That someone had taken you," Darius finished softly.
If only they knew how close they'd come to being right.
---
As they led me back toward the pack grounds, Sylas's words echoed in my mind. Was I really meant for something greater? Or was I just a scared girl who'd fallen into a situation too big for her to handle?
And if Sylas was really my father, what did that mean for my bond with the triplets? What did it mean for everything I thought I knew about myself?